The End of Days
by Seventh Sentinal
Summary: D encounters a wounded man in a meadow who has been burdened with a dangerous mission. But there is more to this mysterious young man than meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fan fiction so please read and review as it will improve my writing skills.

I do not own Vampire Hunter D, Hideyuki Kikuchi does. This story is not for profit but enjoyment only.

All other characters and creatures and worlds ect, are my own original creations and hold no bearing on any created by Mr Kikuchi. Any similarities are coincidence only.

This is rated G for the time being but the rating will go up in later chapters. Action/Adventure

**The End of Days.**

**A Vampire Hunter D Story**

**Chapter One**

**An Unexpected Encounter.**

The sound of battle still rang loudly in his ears. He heard the scrapping of metal upon metal and the grating sound of shield striking shield. There were cries also, carried to him by the errant wind. Cries of pain, of triumph over a foe. All of this he could hear but his eyes saw nothing but a clear blue sky.

He was looking straight up, the lance in his chest pinning him to the earth. His faithful steed stood beside him, unwilling to leave its master's side. The sound of battle grew more and more faint until after a while he could hear nothing save for the wind that gently licked his face. He blinked a few times to clear his swimming vision only to realise that he was crying.

Time seemed to pass ever so slowly and the pain of the lance in his chest became a dull ache. He was dying. He probably couldn't have picked a more perfect place to do it. The meadow he lay in was lush and green with beautiful wild flowers filled with the scent of late spring. Yes. It was perfect here, so very, very perfect and he was so tired.

His eyes closed just as it began to rain. The Greater Leeming leaned over to shield its master's face from the rain. It was a sad scene. Such a sad scene in such a beautiful setting.

It was only a passing shower and was over before it even got started. The flowers bowed their heads under the heavy droplets and the long, green grass had a new lustre. The sunlight bounced off its surface like light reflecting on grass. The battle was far away now and there was no sign in the meadow that it had ever taken place. What was there was a strange thing in deed. It immediately stood apart from everything else. A ring of white light and through it could be seen quite plainly, a baron land muddy and bare. Here and there bodies lay as if hewn up from the wet earth by a great trowel. It was through here that the sound of battle came.

The ring began to close, slowly at first but then quickly as if it were being sown up. Eventually there was nothing of it left and the meadow was silent once more. What had it been? Who was this young man and this strange creature? Both looked out of place in this fragile setting. The creature for one looked like nothing the flowers and grass had ever seen before. It looked to all the world like a Dragon but a Dragon with the shape of a horse. It was large and fierce looking and on its large head two horns curled elegantly upwards. It was pitch black in colour and its coat had patches of scales here and there; mainly on its neck and broad back. Its tail was long and thick with what looked like serrated blades along its length and on the very tip. As for its legs, they were long and strong with muscular calves and splayed toes like a reptile. So very different. So unusual and yet beautiful at the same time.

The young man was also strange, or rather it was his attire that marked him out as different. He was dressed head to foot in a armour but not any ordinary armour. His armour was bronze in colour but intricately patterned with symbols. None of this the nature around him had ever observed before and they were connected to everything.

The grass stretched out many slender, green fingers and wrapped them around the armoured man. It was done gently, slowly. The soil had already tasted his blood and had found it strangely sweet. It wanted more of it. They wanted more of it.

The Greater Leeming watched the grass gradually cover over the corpse of its master and it hung its head in sadness. But then its keen ears picked up a faint sound. It lifted its head and looked to the far distance. Its thin red eyes were able to see further than any other creature because of its Dragon lineage. And so with its Dragon's sight it was easily able to see the figure in black riding towards it and its master at great speed.

Perhaps there was a chance the rider would stop and help its master?

The Greater Leeming leapt out in front of the rider causing the steed to rear up. But its rider did not wait to see what was the matter instead he; and it was a man, wheeled his steed back around. But the Greater Leeming was not about to let the man depart so easily, so callously. Not without helping its master first.

It dashed out in front of the steed again and this time bared its fangs. Its leap showed extraordinary agility and swiftness for such a large beast. This time however the rider drew his sword but the Greater Leeming was not afraid. Its master needed aid and there was no one else but this man who could help. But the man was obviously a fool. So the Greater Leeming appealed to the man's steed instead. The steed was strange and looked to be wearing armour but it did resemble a Lesser Leeming and that perhaps was all that mattered.

The rider gave the steed a swift kick but the creature remained where it was rooted to the spot. It had understood the Greater Leeming's plea. It turned its head of its own accord and began to trot towards the place where the young man lay. The Greater Leeming led the way and was somewhat amused at the rider who was still tugging on the reins to get the steed to stop.

The steed did stop but only when it had reached the spot that the Greater Leeming had indicated. The man had by now sheathed his sword and had gotten down off the steeds back.

The grass had shrunk back as the man approached and it did so as if in fear.

The Greater Leeming stood by and watched as the man knelt down and placed his left hand on his master's chest, close to the lance. When the man unsheathed his sword for a second time the Greater Leeming bristled and let out a feral growl that shook the ground beneath its feet. The man put up his hands as if to calm the beast and show it that he meant no harm. He then stood up and, gripping the lance with his right hand sliced off five feet of it. It was done quickly and swiftly. The man barely moved the lance at all.

He knelt down again and this time gripped the stump of the lance. Quicker than even the Greater Leeming could see, the man pulled out the lance from its master's chest. The spear point of the lance was long and thin, almost three foot in length and had embedded itself quite deeply in the earth. But by the way the man pulled it out it was if he were removing a splinter and not an armour piercing weapon.

The wound had gone straight through the armour and was bleeding profusely. It would have to be stopped if he was going to survive.

The Greater Leeming stamped a clawed foot on the ground to get the man's attention. When he looked up it mouthed at one of the saddle bags strapped to its back. It knew for a fact that there would be medicines in there that its master would need. But perhaps the man was too much of a fool to use them?

The man got to his feet and removed all of the saddle bags. The Greater Leeming watched his closely to make sure that he didn't steal anything.

The sun was slipping away and night was closing in on them steadily. The Greater Leeming could already hear the sounds of beasts nearby. The man would need to work quickly before the beasts picked up the scent of blood.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your review. Keep reading and I hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own Vampire Hunter D. He belongs to the great Hideyuki Kikuchi. **

**Chapter Two**

**A Different Sky**

He was awake, or rather he was surprised that he was awake. It couldn't be the after life because his body was in too much pain so perhaps he had survived after all. He opened his eyes and found that he was still laying on his back but the view above him had changed. He could no longer see the sky and he couldn't hear the sounds of battle either. All he could see was trees, or their branches at any rate. Their canopies were thick and blocked out any light, so he had no way of knowing whether it was night or day, midnight or noon.

A gentle nudge at his side made him turn his head. He smiled weakly at the Greater Leeming which looked down at him with concern.

"Vrade," he said breathlessly. He felt utterly winded as if he had been running a great distance, and his limbs felt heavy. It was then that he noticed the lance was gone and half his armour had been removed but he still wore his helmet.

Suspicion and fear immediately clouded his thoughts but he pushed them away just as quickly. If he had been in any danger he would have been dead already. Who ever had helped him had meant him no harm. They deserved his gratitude, not his suspicion.

He tried to sit up only to cry out in pain. The lance may have been removed but the damage had been thorough. It was foolish to think that the wound had already healed. But he couldn't just sit here and do nothing. He needed to know where he was and find out who had helped him if they were still around. The Rift had opened unexpectantly and only the gods knew where he was now. So, with steely determination he grit his teeth and pushed himself up to a sitting position, using his arms and elbows as levers. The pain in his body was intense and for a moment he felt as though he might pass out but Vrade, seeing its master's distress immediately manoeuvred its body behind him to stop him from falling back.

"Many thanks, dear friend." the man said as he leaned against the Greater Leeming's side. His head began to feel incredibly heavy with the helmet weighing him down. He clawed at the straps under his neck with his still gloved hands and lifted the heavy helmet off with a great sigh. He probably had a fever because of the intense heat flooding through his body and his inability to catch his breath. He also felt incredibly thirsty. Not a very good sign. Blood poisoning most likely, he thought to himself.

His head drooped to the side and his eyes half closed as his chest rose and fell rapidly. He was burning up! But the last thing he wanted to do was to cry out. There would be no point. Who ever had helped him was probably a league away by now and he would be calling out to no one.

It was with surprise then that he felt something cool press against his lips. His eyes fluttered open just as the water ran down his throat. His hands reached for the cup in an attempt to get at the water quicker, not realising that he was couching more up than was going down. In the end coughing over took him and his hands fell to his sides. He felt so utterly wretched.

He looked up at his saviour and tried to smile but it probably looked quite pathetic because the man before him said nothing.

"Tha-Thank you." he managed to say at least, though the words sounded and felt like dry parchment.

The cup of water was pressed to his lips once more and this time he was able to drink and keep it down. He passed out soon after and awoke to fire light.

He turned his head from side to side to see if he was still in the same place. He was. He could feel Vrade's steady breathing at his back. It was such a comfort to have the great beast so close. His eyes were drawn again to the fire and its light but also the figure in black sat on the other side. His sight was clearer now and though he still had a fever it was not as bad as before.

"Many thanks to you stranger." he said and his voice sounded stronger, clearer.

The man sat on the other side of the fire didn't answer, which he thought was strange.

"Is this Asher Forest? Am I still in Grevern?" he asked. It was a joy just to be able to speak so coherently. But again the man did not answer or rather there was a grumbling but nothing more. "Can you tell me your name at least?"

Nothing.

He laid his head back against Vrade's back and licked his lips, his mouth was so dry. What was happening? Why wouldn't the man answer him?

"Please-" he began but the plea caught in his throat.

The man had moved from the other side of the fire and now stood directly in front of him. He had done it so quickly and so silently as to not be over heard.

He stared in growing alarm as the man opened and closed his mouth. He was looking directly into his eyes but he couldn't understand a single word. It was as if the man were talking nonsense!

"I-I don't understand. What are you saying?"

The other man seemed to sigh because he sat back and let out a sharp intake of breath. Apparently the language barrier went both ways. He tilted up his traveller's hat and looked at him sternly.

"She doesn't understand what you're saying." a voice said. "Doesn't look like she's from around here either. So, what're you gonna do about it?"

As if in answer the man in black stood up and retreated back to the other side of the fire. He watched him leave and lowered his head.

When he awoke the fire had been put out and a light fog hung in the air. It was most likely morning but there was still no way of knowing under this thick tree covering. His body still felt wretched but the fever had lifted at least. He was able to move a little without feeling too much pain but the ache in his chest had yet to disappear. First things first though. Images of last not came back to him. He had not been able to understand the man who had helped him and the man had not been able to understand him either. That had to be fixed. Now that the fever had lifted he was able to think more clearly. It was obvious to him now that the Rift had transported him to another world entirely which had probably been the thief's destination all along. If that was the case then he still had a duty to perform and he couldn't do that if he didn't know how to communicate with the indigenous peoples.

He set to work removing his gloves and tossing them to one side. He flexed his fingers to get the circulation back into them. Looking down he saw that he was on a bedding of some sort but beneath it was leaf litter and bare earth. He dug his hands into the soil and closed his eyes to concentrate.

He must have fallen asleep again because when he opened his eyes the fog had lifted and another fire was blazing. Vrade, sensing that its master no longer needed its support, got to its feet. Its cramped limbs snapped together as it stretched and shook itself.

The man had taken up his position on the other side of the fire.

"You should be able to understand me now, I think."

The man looked up at him.

"I take it you understood that." he spoke slowly and carefully, wrapping the new words around his tongue. "I am…grateful, for all that you have done. I owe you my life. I am in your debt."

"How is it we can understand each other?" the man asked.

For the first time he noticed how flat the man's tone was, how emotionless; or perhaps he only thought it was so because of the language?

"It is difficult to explain," he replied. "You would not understand if I told you."

"Try me."

He was surprised at the man's abrupt tone of voice but he shook his head as if to clear his thoughts.

"I beg your forgiveness. I am in need of much rest." he answered instead, and he lay

down on the bedding wincing at the pain in his chest. He fell asleep almost as soon as he laid his head down.

"Well at least she can talk." said a hoarse voice. "Her accent is still strange, she doesn't sound right if you ask me."

The voice got no answer. The man continued to watch the beautiful woman in the dying light of the fire in silence.

To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Questions.**

The next day he was able to stand, though he was still unsteady on his feet. He examined his wound and found that it had been well taken care of. He was impressed. He found the rest of his armour piled up neatly by his saddlebags. He still wore his greaves and gauntlets. Only his breastplate had been removed to get at the wound. Other than that he was still fully dressed. He looked around the makeshift camp but the stranger was no where to be found. Perhaps he had finally left him to it?

His growling stomach brought his thoughts back to his present situation. He rummaged around in one of the saddlebags and removed a lump of bread. He sat down to eat it and listen to the sounds of the forest. The forest's voice was so different to that of his homeland.

"You're awake."

Startled, he looked up to find the strange man looking down at him. He noticed for the first time just how pale he was as if he spent his entire life underground like the Dark Eru. His hair was very long and black and he wore a wide hat on his head, even under the cover of the trees.

"I felt well enough to eat something." he replied. "My wound is healing well thanks to you."

"Well enough to answer my question?"

He nodded his head slowly. Yes, the man deserved an explanation.

"You have probably already guessed that I am not from around here." he began.

"Whether you believe this or not I came here through a Rift."

"A time Rift?"

He raised a thin eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes, or rather similar to a time Rift. But how do you know of them?"

"It's a long story." the man relied. "Why did you come through the Rift?"

He looked down at the lump of bread in his slender hands.

"I was in pursuit of a thief." he answered and anger flashed momentarily in his blue eyes. "An object of great power and importance was stolen from my Empress, and it is my duty to return it to its rightful place."

"Was the thief the one who wounded you?"

"No. It was Its master who lanced me."

Silence fell on them and the birds could be heard singing.

"It may sound trivial to you, stranger but the object that was taken is very dangerous. It has the power to break Barriers and open Rifts, my presence is testament to that. In the wrong hands it will cause great destruction to your world and mine. I need to locate it as quickly as possible before it can be used. But what I don't understand is why the thief would bring it here of all places?"

"What do you mean?" The question was asked flatly as if the man cared little for the answer.

"I suppose to put it simply, the object that was stolen is like a key that can open any lock even if that lock happens to be the Barrier separating one world from another. This world must have some special properties for the thief to come here. Plus Its master was waiting here for It, that cannot be mere coincidence."

"That's a lot to do for one woman alone." the man said.

At this his eyes went wide. He got unsteadily to his feet and stood up straight. He looked directly into the eyes of the man stood only a few feet away from him.

"Despite my appearance, stranger I can assure you I am no woman, and I consider it an insult that you would assume so without even asking my name first."

The man seemed to be genuinely taken aback by this and his mouth opened to say something but no words came out.

"My name is lord Dalkin, advisor to the Empress of Etternon. That is my family name and my official title." Dalkin said proudly. "And your name and title might be?

"D."

Dalkin furrowed his brow at the strange name but then his own name must also sound strange. Never the less he laid his right hand over his heart and bowed his head courteously.

"Very well, Lord 'D'. Now perhaps you could answer a few questions of my own?"

Now that the introductions were over and done with Dalkin felt much more comfortably. He sat cross-legged by the cold fire and stared into the burnt embers in quiet contemplation.

"What world is this?" he asked finally.

Over the course of an hour he listened to D's explanation and inside his heart became more and more heavy.

"I see." he said quietly. "I had no idea so much time had passed. The Master Archivist would have a field day if he were here. The Gate between this world and mine has been sealed for a long time. No one from my world is allowed to be here. This is worse than I thought."

He put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. Of all the places he could have ended up. He suddenly felt very tired and very light headed at the monumental task ahead of him.

He felt a strong hand on his back as his thoughts became jumbled and all the strength left his body. He opened his eyes and stared into a pair of opaque ones.

"What are you doing?" he asked, but his voice came out in a whisper.

He was lifted off the ground and supported by strong arms. D carried him as if he weighed nothing at all. Still he was conscious of the fact that he was being carried by a man as if he were a woman and it was beginning to make him feel uncomfortable.

"Lord D?" he enquired again.

D deposited him on the back of a strange creature he had seen earlier tethered to a nearby tree.

"There's a town nearby," the man called D explained as he cleared away the camp.

"They have proper medicine there."

"I see. If you point me in the right direction I'm sure I can find it myself. You have already done so much already, you need not do anymore." Dalkin said quickly.

D did not answer. He worked quickly and quietly collecting up the saddlebags and tying them to his steeds saddle. He didn't look at Dalkin even once the whole time.

"You are very strange." he found himself saying. "I do not think I have ever met a man so silent and yet…"

His voice trailed off. The man was in deed strange but there was something else about him that gave him pause, something deeper that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He was like a lonely shadow.

"What kind of animal is this?" Dalkin asked in an attempt to clear his thoughts with idle things.

"Haven't you ever seen a Horse before?" D asked.

"Of course not." Dalkin replied and patted the creature called a 'Horse' affectionately on the neck.

"What about him?" D enquired in turn.

The Greater Leeming had emerged from the shadows stretching its limbs. It shook its large head to untangle the leaves and twigs that had lodged itself in its black mane.

"He is called Vrade, and my most trusted companion." Dalkin said with as smile. "He is a Greater Leeming, and I suppose he is what you would refer to as a 'Horse'."

Vrade bounded up to his master and nudged at him with a beaked nose.

"Lord D, I say again you have already done more than enough. If you say the village is close then I am sure Vrade and I will be able to find it. You probably have your own business to attend to and I do not wish to keep you from it." Dalkin said earnestly.

But D merely climbed in the saddle behind him and took hold of the reins.

"I have business in the village." he said and gave a swift tug on the reins.

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

_**The End of Days**_

_**By The Seventh Sentinal**_

_**I do not own Vampire Hunter D, Hideyuki Kikuchi does.**_

_**I have decided to extend this forth chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer: **__Vampire Hunter D comes across a mysterious young man who may not be all that he seems._

_**Rating: M**_

_The ratings for this chapter and all future chapters has gone up due to the portrayals of graphic violence and horror. Anyone who is easily squeamish should read this chapter and future chapters with caution. This is not to everyone's taste._

_**Chapter Four**_

_**A Splendid Gift.**_

_It was an ordinary setting. A large farm on the outskirts of town. A father at work in the fields and a mother and her two daughters at work in the kitchen. The youngest of the two girls had just had her forth birthday and was proudly carrying her new doll down to the gates when a man carriage rolled by._

_The little girl; her name was Susan, watched the carriage ride passed the gate but then stop a little way down the road. The door opened and a tall man got out. He wore a tailored suit and a tall hat that made him look even taller. He walked with a cane and wore round spectacles on the edge of his long nose._

_He walked right up to the gate with a confident stride and one hand behind his back. When he reached the gate he took off his hat and bowed to Susan which made her giggle. She liked the way his moustache and beard were clipped to two fine points._

"_Good afternoon young lady.__"__ the man said with a wide smile. __"__How do you do?__"_

"_How do you do, sir,__"__ Susan replied with a curtsy. _

"_Do you live here all by yourself?__"__ the man asked._

_Susan shook here head._

"_No. Mama, papa and Sarah live here too. Oh, and Mirabelle.__"__ she added, holding up her rag doll for the man to see._

"_I see.__"__ the man mused. __"__Well, how would you like to hear a secret?__"_

_The little girl__'__s face flushed pink with delight._

"_Really?__"_

"_Really. Just make sure not to tell your mummy, or your daddy, or even Sarah that you have it.__"__ the elderly man explained still wearing the smile. __"__It is your secret, and mine.__"_

"_What about Mirabelle?__"_

"_And Mirabelle__'__s as well. I think we can trust her to keep our little secret.__"_

_Susan nodded._

"_Alright then.__"_

_The man gave a little wave of his gloved hand and pulled a large gold coin out of thin air. The little girl__'__s eyes went wide with awe._

"_This is our secret.__"__ the man said holding out the coin. __"__Keep it safe and don__'__t tell anyone that you have it, understand, or else the magic won__'__t work.__"_

_He placed the coin in Susan__'__s waiting palm. It felt very cool and heavy to the touch._

"_What kind of magic?__"__ she asked._

_But the man had had already stood up and was walking back to his carriage._

"_What kind of magic?__"__ she called after him._

_He glanced back over his shoulder at her and for a split second another face flashed in front of his own but the little girl didn__'__t notice._

"_Wait and see.__"__ he said and climbed back into the carriage._

_Susan watched the carriage disappear down the road. She had a secret! She looked down at the coin, it was almost as big as her palm. She wondered what the secret might be as she skipped back up to the house._

_That night as the family were finishing supper, Susan was contemplating whether or not to tell Sarah about the secret. So far nothing had happened and she was beginning to grow bored with not telling anyone. _

"_Suzy go brush your teeth and get ready for bed, you too Sarah.__"__ he mother said as she cleared away the dishes from the table._

_Susan hopped off her chair while Sarah, who was ten, heaved a sigh and took her time._

_When they were in the bathroom and brushing their teeth Susan decided it was time to tell Sarah about the old man and the secret._

"_Sarah.__"__ she began._

"_What is it?__"__ Sarah snapped angrily._

_Susan chewed on her bottom lip nervously. Maybe she shouldn__'__t tell her after all._

"_Well-__"_

"_C__'__mon slow poke.__"__ Sarah cut in dashing out of the bathroom._

_Susan sighed and shook her head. Big sisters were so strange. She took Mirabelle tightly by the arm and followed Sarah to their shared bedroom. The older girl was already in bed and the lights were off._

"_Sarah, don__'__t turn off the lights yet!__"__ Susan wailed as she stood on the landing._

_She heard Sarah sigh again but the lamp flicked on anyway._

"_Baby.__"__ Sarah muttered as her little sister hopped happily into bed. __"__I__'__m turning the light off now, is that okay with you?__"__ she asked mockingly._

"_It__'__s okay, I__'__m in bed now.__"__ Susan replied, putting the covers over her head._

_Down stairs Mr McKay glanced out the window. The electric fence was up so there was no need to worry about any beasts wandering on to the field. Still though, he felt uneasy and he scratched his chin with a nervous finger._

"_What__'__s wrong, Rob you look spooked?__"__ his wife said._

"_I dunno, something just ain__'__t right.__"__ Rob answered. __"__I__'__m gonna go give the fence a once over, settle my nerves.__"_

"_What, now?__"__ he wife asked in surprise. She put down her needlepoint and looked at him questioningly. __"__Are you out of your mind? You can__'__t go out there now.__"_

_But Rob was already at the door with rifle in hand._

"_I__'__ll just be a minute.__"__ he said but it sounded like he was talking to himself._

_By the time his wife had gotten to her feet to protest he had already closed the door._

"_Damn that man. He__'__ll be the death of us one of these days.__"__ she cursed and sat back down to her needlepoint._

_Upstairs Susan had rolled onto her side to look at her sister. She could just about make her out in the gloom._

"_Sarah?__"_

_No answer._

"_Sarah?__"__ she called, a little louder than the first time._

_Still no answer._

"_Sarah!__"_

"_What! I__'__m trying to sleep.__"__ Sarah finally relied._

"_I__'__ve gotta tell you something.__"__ Susan whispered loudly. __"__But it__'__s a secret so you can__'__t tell mama, or papa okay?__"_

"_Whatever.__"_

_Downstairs Mrs McKay was searching in her sewing bag for more yarn when the lights went out._

"_Not that damn generator again!__"__ She hissed through clenched teeth. She got up and felt around in the darkness for the cabinet where they kept the flash lights. She found one and switched it on._

"_Damn that Robert. I told him to get that piece of junk fixed.__"_

_She used the torch__'__s narrow beam of light to navigate to the back door that connected to the barn. The door would always stick so she had to give it a swift kick to get it open. It was yet another job her husband had yet to do._

_She couldn__'__t hear the generator at all when she stepped in to the barn which meant it had probably conked out all together. She hurried over to it and shone the light on it to see what was wrong. _

"_What the hell do I know about these things, I__'__m no mechanic.__"__ she whispered to herself._

_Suddenly she felt a chill. She turned immediately and shone her torch but there was no one there. She wasn__'__t the kind of woman to get spooked easily and she normally thought of women who did, as weak and pathetic creatures who gave women everywhere a bad name. But now she wasn__'__t so sure and she noticed for the first time just how dark it was inside the barn._

"_Get a hold of yourself girl.__"__ she told herself but the beam of light was no longer steady. Her hands were shaking._

_And then she saw something. It could have been a figment of her imagination because it move so quickly. She wasn__'__t about to wait to find out. With a speed that could put most men to shame, she sprinted back into the house and slammed the door shut behind her._

_She breathed a sigh of relief as she leaned against the door. Rob would be back soon and he could go and check on the generator. As for her, she had better go and check on her girls._

_But she didn__'__t move. Or rather she couldn__'__t. The doorknob was turning. She shone the torch on it and sure enough the handle was slowly turning. There was something on the other side of the door!_

_She put her fist to her mouth. Now she was afraid._

_Outside Rob was just finishing his rounds. He hand his rifle resting on his shoulder and he whistled as he walked. There was nothing outside save for a few gas demons and the wind. Nothing to be afraid of, he chided himself and he turned back to the house. It was then that he noticed all the lights were off._

"_Must be that damn generator again.__"__ he said aloud. But then his eyes caught something else._

_His blood froze in his veins. No. It couldn__'__t be. A Noble all the way out here? But wait. Something was wrong. That wasn__'__t a Noble._

_It was as if the night had become animated. The shadowy figure climbing the porch steps to his house looked to be about the same height as a grown man but was much thinner. It seemed to glide over the ground like it was being carried by the wind._

_Where the hell had it come from? And why was he so afraid? No, this was more than ordinary fear. This was something else. And instead of taking his rifle and firing he began to back away, all the while muttering under his breath that something just wasn't right._

_The thing continued to slowly climb the porch steps but then It stopped. And It turned and looked at him._

_The cry that escaped his lips echoed throughout the farm. It was a cry of pure and utter fear and even as he turned and ran, it stayed with him. He didn__'__t even notice when he ran into the electric fence._

"_Did you here that?" Sarah asked, sitting upright in bed. She pulled the blanket up over her nose and looked at her little sister with wide, frightened eyes._

_Susan hugged her rag doll to her chest and nodded her head. She had heard it too._

"_I want mama." she whispered._

_Downstairs Mrs McKay backed away from the backdoor. The air had suddenly gone very cold. She could even see her breath in front of her, spilling out of her mouth and nose in dense white clouds. It was as if she had walked into a freezer._

"_What's g-going on?" _

_A sudden cry from outside startled her and she dropped the torch in a fit of panic. The room was plunged into darkness. She immediately dropped to her knees and felt around the floor for it but each time her fingers brushed against it, it rolled just out of reach._

"_Oh c'mon, damn you!" she cried as the torch rolled away again. Her heart hammered in her chest and her flesh was crawling with the cold. Finally she grabbed a hold of the torch. She could have kissed it she was so relieved. She quickly switched it on and shone the beam on the back door._

_It was wide open!_

_She couldn't believe it. How could the door have opened without her hearing it? A fresh wave of fear washed over her as she imagined what could be inside her house._

_Sarah, Susan._

_The faces of her two daughters flashed through her mind and she rushed towards the stairs. But before she could place a hand on the banister she clutched at her chest and fell to her knees, gasping for air._

"_What the…"_

_Someone was close behind her. Even though it was pitch black she could sense that there was definitely someone else in the room. She was by now too cold to scream and in much too much pain. But it was the terror building up inside of her that chocked her. It churned in her stomach, and tangled in her gut. She had never know a fear like this._

_And then It was there, right there in front of her as if It had always been there. What happened next happened so quickly she didn't even have time to scream. The shadows moved as one and shot out at her. She stood stock till, she didn't even try to escape. It was as if her brain already knew she was dead. _

_Something sharp struck her full on in the face, toppling her backwards only she didn't fall all the way. She hung at an odd angle, balancing on her heels like a marionette. Her eyes rolled back into her skull and her mouth gaped open like a fish out of water. The scene probably would have looked quite comical in a different light. _

_And now she screamed. _

_Whatever had latched onto her face was ripping it off. The feeling of her own skin tearing off was too much to bare. The spell had broken and the instinct to survive kicked in. She screamed, yelled and kicked for all she was worth. The pain meant nothing; the fear meant nothing. She had to save her children!_

_Upstairs, the two girls were huddled under Susan's bed. They heard the screams and the crash of furniture from downstairs. _

"_Mommy! I want mommy!" Susan sobbed._

_The screaming downstairs had reached a crescendo. They heard glass breaking and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. And then there was silence._

"_Where's daddy? I want daddy!" Susan continued to sob. She buried her tear strewn face in her sisters back. Why wasn't daddy here? Why wasn't mommy coming to get them? _

"_Be quiet, be quiet!" Sarah shushed her but her own heart was pounding away, and her voice was almost unintelligible with her own choking tears._

_Someone was coming up the stairs. She could hear their footsteps. They sounded like they were wearing the big, heavy boots her daddy always wore._

_She pushed Susan further under the bed and put her hand over her mouth. The footsteps continued up the landing. Whoever it was, was in no hurry to get where they were going. They were even whistling a tune._

_Sarah's eyes were trained on the bedroom door. It had suddenly grow very cold._

"_Sarah… Susan…"_

_Shock ran through both girls as they heard their mother's voice._

"_Sarah… Susan…"_

_Sarah felt new tears prick her eyes at the sound of her mother's voice. She was trembling so badly she suddenly grew fearful that she might be overheard._

"_Sarah, dear… Suzy baby… Where are you?"_

_That wasn't mommy. Mommy didn't sound like that!_

_Sarah squeezed her eyes shut tight as the footsteps came to a stop outside the bedroom door._

"_Are you in here?"_

_Susan stopped her struggling just as the door swung open and something akin to a child's worst nightmare came into the room._

_When Sarah opened her eyes, which was only a split second after she had closed them, she watched as two of the strangest feet walked by her bed. They looked to all the world like goat's hooves only much, much bigger and completely black. The ankles were hidden by the hem of a black coat that seemed to swallow the darkness and be a part of it all at the same time. But it was this feeling of fear which touched the core of the little girl's soul. It was a deep fear, the likes of which she had never felt but knew to be very, very real._

"_Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in." she heard the thing say in a whispered voice full of darkness._

_She watched It walk the length of the small bedroom and then come to an abrupt halt right in front of Susan's bed._

"_Sarah… Susan… Come on out."_

_Sarah put a hand over her own mouth to stop the scream trying to force its way up her throat._

"_Sarah! Susan!"_

_This time the voice was not her mother's or even an imitation. It was the creature's voice!_

_Something dropped on the floor and rolled under the bed right in front of Sarah's face._

_She could contain the scream no longer. Her mother looked her straight in the eyes, her bloodied mouth still trying to form words without a body._

_The bed flipped up, crashing against the wall. The creature reached for them, Its long arms seemingly infinite and Its clawed hands already covered in blood and gore from the corpse of their mother._

_When it roared Sarah thought her ears would burst. She held Susan tighter, wrapping her arms around her little sister as the monster closed in on them._

_Suddenly there was a flash of yellow light so bright it made Sarah's eyes burn. The creature roared again and with the speed of the wind flew out of the room. She heard a door slam shut even though she was still screaming. And when the lights came on she still continued to scream._

_She screamed all throughout the rest of the night and into the early morning when the farm hands found her and the grizzly remains of her mother. She was still screaming when they pried the dead body of her little sister from her arms. In her terror and attempt to keep Susan quiet she had smothered her to death._

_To Be Continued. _


End file.
